Portable irrigation head gate



16, 1930. H. A. BALLARD 'P'ORTABLE IRIGAT'IpN HEAD GATE Filed Aug. 2 9,1928 2 sheets-sheet i ATTRNEY )Y0 wagd.alard'/, INVENToR.

Dec. 16, 1930.r H. A. BALLARD 1,734,955

PQRTABLE IRRIGATvIoN HEAD GATE Filed Aug. 29, 192s 2 sheets-sheet 2 INVEN TOR.

fama/d. Ballard,

ATTRNEY l Patented Dec. 16, 1930 UNITED 'STATES PATENT OFFICE] HowARnA.BALLA'Rnfon cnnnxsnune, cALIronNIA l PQRTABLE IRRIGATION-HEAD GATE fApplication ined August, ,2a 192s.l seriali No; 302,857'.-r

This invention relatesv tov irrigating headgates, and has for one of itsobjects to provide a novel device of this character which shall embody aflexible dam and be adapted for use in connection with the check,contour and furrow methods of irrigation and which shall be adapted tohandle a complete head of water in any eld ditch or lateral from sixinches to six `feet wide. V

Theinventionhas for a further object to provide a headgateofthecharacter `stated which shall be adaptedtoI beeasilyand quicklyinstalled or removed andwhich shallv be light enough to permit it tobereadily carried from onefeldditchor lateral to another.

. The Vinvention has for a further.` object to provide ajheadgate of,the character stated wherein the exible damshallbeadapted to beeasilyand quickly adjusted in afmanner to eliectV the blocking of lthewholestream of Vwateror to prevent'the passage thereby of such portionof the stream as best adapted'to i in V' the construction, combinationand arrangement of parts hereinafter fully describedand claimed,` and`illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings, wherein: j Figure 1 s afV topplan view illustrating the Iapplication'oi the headgate topa lield ditchVorlateral; f A

Figure 2 is a sectional View taken` on the vertical plane indicated bythe line 2,-.-2 of Figure 1," j y Figure 3 is a sectional viewtakenonthe vertical plane indicated by theline 33 of Figure 1; n ,vFigure 4 is a sectional` view takenfon the vertical Vplane indicated bythe line 4 4 of rigufe1;`k 1 f1) y Figure k5 4is a' sectional view takenon the vertical plane indicated bythe line -of Figure 4V; ff' Y i`Figure 6 is adetail horizontal sectional view of: one of thehousingsfof the headgate; Y Y C n Figure 7 is Va view partly :in'verticalsection and partly in endelevation of theihousmaand v FiguresSand 9are detailsectionalviews illustrating the manner in whichltheieXible dam is con'nected'to the'exible supporting The headgatecomprises apairoii v'strips or fieldl'ditch or "lateral The beams restupon thebanks Qnoffthe ditch'or lateral 3, and may be secured in placein vany suitable manner. While they may be made from wood or metal, the"beams 1 are'prei'erablyl made from wood in `order toS permit them" toqbevreadily re? placedv in the event of theirlbeing broken. The beams 1 arearranged in spa'ced'parallel relation, and are secured in such relationby housings 4 and tie plates: 5. The housings 4 are ofginverted `Up-forminv cross section, and are arranged upon the beams 1 laterally beyondthe sides of the iield ditch or lateral 3 and ywithl their openedlowersides in longitudinal alinement with the opening or slotl 6 between `thebeams. "The housings 4 are proyvided'at their? lower `edges withoutwardly extending adjusting. lianges 7 .which rest upon the beams 1.V.Bolts 8 which extend through the beams 1, tie plates 5 and flanges 7,secure the beams, tie plates and housings 4 together. Bars 9 aresecured, as at 10,v to and across the inner vand outer ends of thehousings 4, and yare arranged adjacent the upper sides ofv 'the`housings 'and are pro- "videdffwith'bearingi openings 1l.

f A shaft 12 extendsthrough thev housings 4, andis rotatably supportedby the bearings l1 in vertical aliniement with theslot 6. A right-handscrew 18' and a left-hand screw 14 having square faced threadsaremounted upon the shaftl2, andare iXed to the shaft thereby heldagainstany inirning;In@vementf-` with respect to the screws 13 and 14.The

followers 16 and 17 are provided bel-owthescrews 13 and 14 with eyebolts 18 and 19,`re spectively. preferably-in the form of a cha-in,is,posi tionedbetween the followers 16"and 17,'Qand is secured at its`endsto the eye-bolts 18. and 19.,

A flexible dam 21 which is preferably made from canvas .and comprisessimilar -members 22 and23, is arranged within. the eld ditch or lateral3' and'i's carried by and suspended fromthe member 20. The dam member 23which islocated at the tip-stream side of the dam 21 has its lower endand side portions arranged inicontact with the bottom andsides andtop ofthe banks of theiield ditch or lat;- eral.' whereby tope'rmitthefpressu're of the water tohold' it firmly in place.y If desiredearthmay be placed inl saidportions ofthe member 23toassistf in holdingsaidfmember in place. y The othermembe'r22 of the damr21 which isVlocated at the down-stream side of thedam swings freein the ditch orlateral and constitutes a spillway which prevents the erosion andwashing away of the .soil direct- 1y belowthe headgate.` The dam members22 and. 23 are of thesame areay so as to permit theheadgate to beappliedwith. either one ar ranged upstream.

vThe dam members 22.and 23 are secured together at their upper endsin-av manner tofprovide a loop 24.for the'reception. of the suspendingmember .20. The. damr21`is held against, movement en and in thedirection of' the length of the suspending member 2O by bolts 25.whichextend through. the upper corners offtlie dam andthroughcertainlinks of the suspending member.` To permit the dam 21 to be-y readilyapplied tothe suspending member 20- or removed therefrom,. thesuspendingY member is made in sectionsand the sectionstliereof areconnectedtogether bya snaphook 26.k f f 1 i i The suspending member20extends down wardly and, inwardly from the followers 16 and 17and..downwardly,through the slotV 6 and acrossthe ditch. 3, Theextent-or degree of the sag of thesuspendingmember 2() may be varied'toVnegulate the'amount of water flowing through the ditchv past the, dam 21ontoentirely cut olf the flow of. water through the, ditchand.this.maiybel easily and. quickly donebyfrotatingthepshaft 1`2throughthe me.-

A flexible memberV 20'whichV is= dium of a handY cra-nk 27. When thecrank 27 is `turned in a clockwise direction the followers 16 and 17 arecausedto move away from each other, with the result that the eX- tent ofthe sag of the member 2() is reduced and the dam 21 is elevated. Whenthe crank `27 is turned in a counter-clockwise directionthefollowers'16. and 17' are caused to move in theH direction of eachother,with the result that the extent of the sag of the member 2 .O`isincreasedand thezdam 21 is'lowered.

`The connection between the screws 13 and 14 In order to adapt-theheadgate for use in `connection"withheld ditches or, laterals ofdifferent widths, the casings 4 are adaptedfto beV adj ustedtoward andaway from 'eachother' on thebeams 1 andthe lengthof the shaft12 isadaptedk to be increasedor decreased.` To permitthelsta-,tedfadjustr'nent` of the housings, the beams 1`a`re provided.with ai plurality of seriesof openings 28 forv the reception of tliebolts S@ To permit. the'lengthff the'shaft 12to'bevarie`d, 'this partisIliade in sections, and'. the sections 12? 'andj12P thereoff are tele,-scopically, associated and connected in their adjusted relationbycotter'pins 29;

he V`headgatemay Vbe installed.' in. any field.E ditchl oijla'teral'" ina few seconds. The cra-nk 27j willioccupy va position ugent ofithe mudand will beeasyofaccess. i.' l ,fewj turns of the crank 27' inv aclockwise directionwill raisefthefdam 21,and stop the, ow ofv water, anda, few turns of thecrankin the opposite direction willl'owerthe dam,-and start'the flow of the water and this. may be` done withoutstraddl'ing. the ditch. a The headgatecmay be used' as( anordinarycanvasy dam to Vstop-the whole* head'A of water to regulate or divide ahead of water in a, field ditchor lateral;A to maintainV a waterlevellin a ditch in f-urrow irrigation; to raise the Ywaterlevelytovforce water out of a', ditchv into` furrows, allowing the balance,ofthe head` to iow on down the ditch to serve othery furrowsTan'd'` asaleadf gate to take water out ofai'eld dit'chor lateral. 'p Thehead'ga'temay be used` in multiple, as checks7` to create and.I maintaindifferent water levels in aditch with considerable' fall?, topreventerosion ofthe ditch.V Inl thecheck yorY contour lmethods of irrigation,vthe. headgate may. beused to irrigate'twoi` ormore checks orfclont'oursyata timeand in an emergency, the headgate-may beusedto check the flow ofwater through a ditchbankrsotliat a.breakrmayberepairedr. i E nVYhile,Ihavedescribedthe 1principle of'voperation of the invention,together with theideh vice which I now. considerto b e;theb.estembodimentthereof74 Idesli'ref. td havef itnnderstood thatthe deviceshown is merely. illustrativep! andthat such changes may he. made A.,

when desired as are within the scope of the invention as claimed.

What I claim as new is l. In a combination of the character described, ashaft, means for rotatably support-v ing said shaft, a flexiblesupporting member extending longitudinally of said shaft and saggingtherebelow intermediate the ends of the shaft and supporting member,means connecting said supporting member to said shaft, whereby as saidshaft is rotated the sag in said supporting member will be decreased or`increased, and a flexible dam mounted upon said supporting member, asand for the purposes setforth.l

housings, i whereby the followers are held i.

HOWARD A. BALLARD.

2. In a combination of the character described, a shaft, meansvforrotatably supporting said shaft, screws fixed u on said shaftadjacent its end portions, ollowers mounted upon said screws, means forholding said followers from turning, a iexible supporting memberextending longitudinally of said shaft and sagging therebelowintermediate the ends of the shaft, the ends of said supporting memberbeing connected to said followers, whereby as said-shaft is rotated thesag in said supporting member will be decreased or increased, and aflexible damy mounted upon said supporting manner, as and for thepurposes set forth.

3. In a combination of the character del screws, said followers engagingthe inner surface of said housings, whereby the followers are heldagainst turning as the shaft is revolved, a flexible supporting memberextending longitudinally of said shaft and sagging therebelowintermediate the ends of said shaft, the ends of said supporting memberbeing connected to said followers, whereby as said shaft is rotated thesag in said supporting member will be decreased or increased, and aflexible dam mounted upon said supporting member, as and for thepurposes set forth. c

4. In a combination of the character described, a base provided with aslot, housings secured to said base in relatively spaced relation, saidhousings being of inverted U-form in cross section and having their openlower portions in alignment with said slot, transversely extending vbarscarried by said hous ings, a shaft spanning the distance between saidhousings and having its ends turnably mounted in said bars, screws fixedupon said shafts between said bars, thereby holding said shaft againstlongitudinal movement, followers mounted upon said screws, saidfollowers engaging the inner surfaces of said

